PORTLAND, ORE. – Vivien Liessfeld and Tobin Schmidtke of the University of Alaska Anchorage were each named GNAC Athletes of the Week for Track and Field.
Liessfeld got her name onto the GNAC indoor all-time top-10 list, posting a career-best pentathlon score of 3,518 points to finish second at the University of Idaho Lauren McCluskey Memorial meet last week. Liessfeld's effort – the 10th-highest point total in conference history – featured personal bests in the long jump at 19-4 feet (5.89 meters), high jump at 5-2.25 feet (1.58 meters) and the 60-meter hurdles at 9.00 seconds. Liessfeld's long jump was also a school record. The junior is atop the GNAC performance list in the pentathlon this season, after earning the bronze medal in the multis at each of the last two GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships meets.
"What a weekend for Vivien," said UAA head coach Ryan McWilliams. "She has steadily and quietly been making progress in these events, and to have her make such a big announcement this weekend was great to see. A new school record is just the cherry on top. We feel very confident she has more to show before this indoor season is done."
Schmidtke had a strong opening performance in the heptathlon, racking up a personal-best 4,868 points for the top mark by a GNAC competitor so far this season. His total, which also slotted his name at No. 16 on the NCAA Division II national performance list, featured personal bests in six of the seven events. He used second-place finishes in the shot put at 39-10.5 feet (12.15 meters), pole vault at 14-1.25 feet (4.30 meters), long jump at 22-5.75 feet (6.85 meters) and 1,000 meters (2:49.55 minutes) to place third overall among a field of 11 competitors at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial. The reigning GNAC champion in the decathlon, Schmidtke is the early favorite in the heptathlon in his first collegiate indoor season.
"It is great to see Tobin putting it together," said UAA head coach Ryan McWilliams. "He had the type of opening multi performance you want to see as a coach and athlete. There was a little bit of everything in there; some great individual event personal bests, some solid performances and some performances we are happy with but know can easily be better. Coming out of the multi with an overall personal best and a positive outlook for a bigger score later is a great position to be operating from."
UAA will compete at the UW Preview/Mile City Jan. 30-31.
